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he Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the Indian Premier League (IPL) will remove Chinese smartphone company, Vivo, as the title sponsor of the league.

The move comes amid ongoing political tensions between India and China following a confrontation along their shared border in June that resulted in the death of 20 Indian soldiers.

The BCCI released a statement announcing the reported “mutual split”.

“The BCCI and Vivo Mobile India Pvt Ltd have decided to suspend their partnership for Indian Premier League in 2020,” the statement read.

This decision comes off the back of the IPL conducting a review of its sponsorship deals following the border clash, with other IPL partners, Paytm, Swiggy, and Dream 11 all connected to Chines-based companies.

The suspension of the partnership marks the early end of a five-year contract that was signed in 2018 for an estimated $476 million.

India Today reported Vivo will likely return as the IPL’s title sponsor for the 2022 and 2023 competitions, but the IPL will search for a replacement for Vivo for the upcoming 2020 season, which is set to be held in Dubai, Sharjah and Abu Dhabi from September 19.